from thinkprogress, we learn thaton march 10, 2004, they tried to “persuade“a bed-ridden, hospitalized john ashcroft to authorize a warrantless wire-tapping program then-acting attorney general james comey hadsaid had “no lawful basis” — comey and ashcroftthreatened to resign. . . meanwhile, for two weeks, the program operated outside the law. . .

the program had passed its forty-five dayoperating deadline, and thus required anorder of re-authorization — anauthorization james comey opinedwould be unconstitutional, and unlawful, given the way theprogram was being operated. . .

f.b.i. director muellerconcurred with james comey,and with john ashcroft, onthis matter. . .

after two weeks of “runningrougue” — outside the law — itwas amended and re-configured, to bring it into compliance with law. . .

according to talkingpointsmemo, at leastone DoJ attorney may have been passed over for a promotion firedforhis role in refusing to shove-through thisreauthorization, at the ashcroft-hospital-bed meeting that day. . . also according to tpmuckraker’s transcript of today’shearing, we learn the presidenthimself placed the call (to the best of mr. comey’s recollection),to then attorney-general-john-ashcroft’s-wife, at thehospital, that evening. . .

a s t o n i s h i n g. . .

or perhaps, not so. . .

thinkprogress, to counter WHspins-person tony snow’s suggestionthat mr. ashcroft was not all thatill, simply recounts the testimonyof james comey of what happened thatmarch 2004 evening:

. . .Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was veryconcerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully whatwas going on. . .”

the new york times is now reportingthat f.b.i. director mueller told mr.comey that he also, would resign, aswould ashcroft, if the president, thewhite house counsel and others did not back away from the program. . .

later — tomorrow’s gray lady implicates both messrs cheney, and bush:

. . .Mr. Comey said he reached Theodore B. Olson, the solicitor general, at a dinner party. At the White House session, which included Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Comey and Mr. Card, the four officials discussed the impasse. Mr. Comey knew that other top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, wanted to continue the program.

Mr. Card expressed concern about mass resignations at the Justice Department, Mr. Comey said. He told the Senate panel that he prepared a letter of resignation and that David Ayres, Mr. Ashcroft’s chief of staff, asked him to delay delivering it so that Mr. Ashcroft could join him. Mr. Comey said that Mr. Mueller was also prepared to quit.

The next morning, March 11, Mr. Comey went to the White House for a morning terrorism briefing. Afterward, he said Mr. Bush took him aside for a private 15-minute meeting in the president’s study, which Mr. Comey described as a “full exchange.”

At Mr. Comey’s urging, Mr. Bush also met with Mr. Mueller, who emerged to inform Mr. Comey that the president had authorized the changes in the program sought by the Justice Department. . .

from thinkprogress, we learn thaton march 10, 2004, they tried to “persuade“a bed-ridden, hospitalized john ashcroft to authorize a warrantless wire-tapping program then-acting attorney general james comey hadsaid had “no lawful basis” — comey and ashcroftthreatened to resign. . . meanwhile, for two weeks, the program operated outside the law. . .

the program had passed its forty-five dayoperating deadline, and thus required anorder of re-authorization — anauthorization james comey opinedwould be unconstitutional, and unlawful, given the way theprogram was being operated. . .

f.b.i. director muellerconcurred with james comey,and with john ashcroft, onthis matter. . .

after two weeks of “runningrougue” — outside the law — itwas amended and re-configured, to bring it into compliance with law. . .

according to talkingpointsmemo, at leastone DoJ attorney may have been passed over for a promotion firedforhis role in refusing to shove-through thisreauthorization, at the ashcroft-hospital-bed meeting that day. . . also according to tpmuckraker’s transcript of today’shearing, we learn the presidenthimself placed the call (to the best of mr. comey’s recollection),to then attorney-general-john-ashcroft’s-wife, at thehospital, that evening. . .

a s t o n i s h i n g. . .

or perhaps, not so. . .

thinkprogress, to counter WHspins-person tony snow’s suggestionthat mr. ashcroft was not all thatill, simply recounts the testimonyof james comey of what happened thatmarch 2004 evening:

. . .Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was veryconcerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully whatwas going on. . .”

the new york times is now reportingthat f.b.i. director mueller told mr.comey that he also, would resign, aswould ashcroft, if the president, thewhite house counsel and others did not back away from the program. . .

later — tomorrow’s gray lady implicates both messrs cheney, and bush:

. . .Mr. Comey said he reached Theodore B. Olson, the solicitor general, at a dinner party. At the White House session, which included Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Comey and Mr. Card, the four officials discussed the impasse. Mr. Comey knew that other top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, wanted to continue the program.

Mr. Card expressed concern about mass resignations at the Justice Department, Mr. Comey said. He told the Senate panel that he prepared a letter of resignation and that David Ayres, Mr. Ashcroft’s chief of staff, asked him to delay delivering it so that Mr. Ashcroft could join him. Mr. Comey said that Mr. Mueller was also prepared to quit.

The next morning, March 11, Mr. Comey went to the White House for a morning terrorism briefing. Afterward, he said Mr. Bush took him aside for a private 15-minute meeting in the president’s study, which Mr. Comey described as a “full exchange.”

At Mr. Comey’s urging, Mr. Bush also met with Mr. Mueller, who emerged to inform Mr. Comey that the president had authorized the changes in the program sought by the Justice Department. . .

from thinkprogress, we learn thaton march 10, 2004, they tried to “persuade“a bed-ridden, hospitalized john ashcroft to authorize a warrantless wire-tapping program then-acting attorney general james comey hadsaid had “no lawful basis” — comey and ashcroftthreatened to resign. . . meanwhile, for two weeks, the program operated outside the law. . .

the program had passed its forty-five dayoperating deadline, and thus required anorder of re-authorization — anauthorization james comey opinedwould be unconstitutional, and unlawful, given the way theprogram was being operated. . .

f.b.i. director muellerconcurred with james comey,and with john ashcroft, onthis matter. . .

after two weeks of “runningrougue” — outside the law — itwas amended and re-configured, to bring it into compliance with law. . .

according to talkingpointsmemo, at leastone DoJ attorney may have been passed over for a promotion firedforhis role in refusing to shove-through thisreauthorization, at the ashcroft-hospital-bed meeting that day. . . also according to tpmuckraker’s transcript of today’shearing, we learn the presidenthimself placed the call (to the best of mr. comey’s recollection),to then attorney-general-john-ashcroft’s-wife, at thehospital, that evening. . .

a s t o n i s h i n g. . .

or perhaps, not so. . .

thinkprogress, to counter WHspins-person tony snow’s suggestionthat mr. ashcroft was not all thatill, simply recounts the testimonyof james comey of what happened thatmarch 2004 evening:

. . .Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was veryconcerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully whatwas going on. . .”

the new york times is now reportingthat f.b.i. director mueller told mr.comey that he also, would resign, aswould ashcroft, if the president, thewhite house counsel and others did not back away from the program. . .

later — tomorrow’s gray lady implicates both messrs cheney, and bush:

. . .Mr. Comey said he reached Theodore B. Olson, the solicitor general, at a dinner party. At the White House session, which included Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Comey and Mr. Card, the four officials discussed the impasse. Mr. Comey knew that other top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, wanted to continue the program.

Mr. Card expressed concern about mass resignations at the Justice Department, Mr. Comey said. He told the Senate panel that he prepared a letter of resignation and that David Ayres, Mr. Ashcroft’s chief of staff, asked him to delay delivering it so that Mr. Ashcroft could join him. Mr. Comey said that Mr. Mueller was also prepared to quit.

The next morning, March 11, Mr. Comey went to the White House for a morning terrorism briefing. Afterward, he said Mr. Bush took him aside for a private 15-minute meeting in the president’s study, which Mr. Comey described as a “full exchange.”

At Mr. Comey’s urging, Mr. Bush also met with Mr. Mueller, who emerged to inform Mr. Comey that the president had authorized the changes in the program sought by the Justice Department. . .

from thinkprogress, we learn thaton march 10, 2004, they tried to “persuade“a bed-ridden, hospitalized john ashcroft to authorize a warrantless wire-tapping program then-acting attorney general james comey hadsaid had “no lawful basis” — comey and ashcroftthreatened to resign. . . meanwhile, for two weeks, the program operated outside the law. . .

the program had passed its forty-five dayoperating deadline, and thus required anorder of re-authorization — anauthorization james comey opinedwould be unconstitutional, and unlawful, given the way theprogram was being operated. . .

f.b.i. director muellerconcurred with james comey,and with john ashcroft, onthis matter. . .

after two weeks of “runningrougue” — outside the law — itwas amended and re-configured, to bring it into compliance with law. . .

according to talkingpointsmemo, at leastone DoJ attorney may have been passed over for a promotion firedforhis role in refusing to shove-through thisreauthorization, at the ashcroft-hospital-bed meeting that day. . . also according to tpmuckraker’s transcript of today’shearing, we learn the presidenthimself placed the call (to the best of mr. comey’s recollection),to then attorney-general-john-ashcroft’s-wife, at thehospital, that evening. . .

a s t o n i s h i n g. . .

or perhaps, not so. . .

thinkprogress, to counter WHspins-person tony snow’s suggestionthat mr. ashcroft was not all thatill, simply recounts the testimonyof james comey of what happened thatmarch 2004 evening:

. . .Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was veryconcerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully whatwas going on. . .”

the new york times is now reportingthat f.b.i. director mueller told mr.comey that he also, would resign, aswould ashcroft, if the president, thewhite house counsel and others did not back away from the program. . .

later — tomorrow’s gray lady implicates both messrs cheney, and bush:

. . .Mr. Comey said he reached Theodore B. Olson, the solicitor general, at a dinner party. At the White House session, which included Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Comey and Mr. Card, the four officials discussed the impasse. Mr. Comey knew that other top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, wanted to continue the program.

Mr. Card expressed concern about mass resignations at the Justice Department, Mr. Comey said. He told the Senate panel that he prepared a letter of resignation and that David Ayres, Mr. Ashcroft’s chief of staff, asked him to delay delivering it so that Mr. Ashcroft could join him. Mr. Comey said that Mr. Mueller was also prepared to quit.

The next morning, March 11, Mr. Comey went to the White House for a morning terrorism briefing. Afterward, he said Mr. Bush took him aside for a private 15-minute meeting in the president’s study, which Mr. Comey described as a “full exchange.”

At Mr. Comey’s urging, Mr. Bush also met with Mr. Mueller, who emerged to inform Mr. Comey that the president had authorized the changes in the program sought by the Justice Department. . .

from thinkprogress, we learn thaton march 10, 2004, they tried to “persuade“a bed-ridden, hospitalized john ashcroft to authorize a warrantless wire-tapping program then-acting attorney general james comey hadsaid had “no lawful basis” — comey and ashcroftthreatened to resign. . . meanwhile, for two weeks, the program operated outside the law. . .

the program had passed its forty-five dayoperating deadline, and thus required anorder of re-authorization — anauthorization james comey opinedwould be unconstitutional, and unlawful, given the way theprogram was being operated. . .

f.b.i. director muellerconcurred with james comey,and with john ashcroft, onthis matter. . .

after two weeks of “runningrougue” — outside the law — itwas amended and re-configured, to bring it into compliance with law. . .

according to talkingpointsmemo, at leastone DoJ attorney may have been passed over for a promotion firedforhis role in refusing to shove-through thisreauthorization, at the ashcroft-hospital-bed meeting that day. . . also according to tpmuckraker’s transcript of today’shearing, we learn the presidenthimself placed the call (to the best of mr. comey’s recollection),to then attorney-general-john-ashcroft’s-wife, at thehospital, that evening. . .

a s t o n i s h i n g. . .

or perhaps, not so. . .

thinkprogress, to counter WHspins-person tony snow’s suggestionthat mr. ashcroft was not all thatill, simply recounts the testimonyof james comey of what happened thatmarch 2004 evening:

. . .Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was veryconcerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully whatwas going on. . .”

the new york times is now reportingthat f.b.i. director mueller told mr.comey that he also, would resign, aswould ashcroft, if the president, thewhite house counsel and others did not back away from the program. . .

later — tomorrow’s gray lady implicates both messrs cheney, and bush:

. . .Mr. Comey said he reached Theodore B. Olson, the solicitor general, at a dinner party. At the White House session, which included Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Comey and Mr. Card, the four officials discussed the impasse. Mr. Comey knew that other top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, wanted to continue the program.

Mr. Card expressed concern about mass resignations at the Justice Department, Mr. Comey said. He told the Senate panel that he prepared a letter of resignation and that David Ayres, Mr. Ashcroft’s chief of staff, asked him to delay delivering it so that Mr. Ashcroft could join him. Mr. Comey said that Mr. Mueller was also prepared to quit.

The next morning, March 11, Mr. Comey went to the White House for a morning terrorism briefing. Afterward, he said Mr. Bush took him aside for a private 15-minute meeting in the president’s study, which Mr. Comey described as a “full exchange.”

At Mr. Comey’s urging, Mr. Bush also met with Mr. Mueller, who emerged to inform Mr. Comey that the president had authorized the changes in the program sought by the Justice Department. . .

from thinkprogress, we learn thaton march 10, 2004, they tried to “persuade“a bed-ridden, hospitalized john ashcroft to authorize a warrantless wire-tapping program then-acting attorney general james comey hadsaid had “no lawful basis” — comey and ashcroftthreatened to resign. . . meanwhile, for two weeks, the program operated outside the law. . .

the program had passed its forty-five dayoperating deadline, and thus required anorder of re-authorization — anauthorization james comey opinedwould be unconstitutional, and unlawful, given the way theprogram was being operated. . .

f.b.i. director muellerconcurred with james comey,and with john ashcroft, onthis matter. . .

after two weeks of “runningrougue” — outside the law — itwas amended and re-configured, to bring it into compliance with law. . .

according to talkingpointsmemo, at leastone DoJ attorney may have been passed over for a promotion firedforhis role in refusing to shove-through thisreauthorization, at the ashcroft-hospital-bed meeting that day. . . also according to tpmuckraker’s transcript of today’shearing, we learn the presidenthimself placed the call (to the best of mr. comey’s recollection),to then attorney-general-john-ashcroft’s-wife, at thehospital, that evening. . .

a s t o n i s h i n g. . .

or perhaps, not so. . .

thinkprogress, to counter WHspins-person tony snow’s suggestionthat mr. ashcroft was not all thatill, simply recounts the testimonyof james comey of what happened thatmarch 2004 evening:

. . .Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was veryconcerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully whatwas going on. . .”

the new york times is now reportingthat f.b.i. director mueller told mr.comey that he also, would resign, aswould ashcroft, if the president, thewhite house counsel and others did not back away from the program. . .

later — tomorrow’s gray lady implicates both messrs cheney, and bush:

. . .Mr. Comey said he reached Theodore B. Olson, the solicitor general, at a dinner party. At the White House session, which included Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Comey and Mr. Card, the four officials discussed the impasse. Mr. Comey knew that other top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, wanted to continue the program.

Mr. Card expressed concern about mass resignations at the Justice Department, Mr. Comey said. He told the Senate panel that he prepared a letter of resignation and that David Ayres, Mr. Ashcroft’s chief of staff, asked him to delay delivering it so that Mr. Ashcroft could join him. Mr. Comey said that Mr. Mueller was also prepared to quit.

The next morning, March 11, Mr. Comey went to the White House for a morning terrorism briefing. Afterward, he said Mr. Bush took him aside for a private 15-minute meeting in the president’s study, which Mr. Comey described as a “full exchange.”

At Mr. Comey’s urging, Mr. Bush also met with Mr. Mueller, who emerged to inform Mr. Comey that the president had authorized the changes in the program sought by the Justice Department. . .

from thinkprogress, we learn thaton march 10, 2004, they tried to “persuade“a bed-ridden, hospitalized john ashcroft to authorize a warrantless wire-tapping program then-acting attorney general james comey hadsaid had “no lawful basis” — comey and ashcroftthreatened to resign. . . meanwhile, for two weeks, the program operated outside the law. . .

the program had passed its forty-five dayoperating deadline, and thus required anorder of re-authorization — anauthorization james comey opinedwould be unconstitutional, and unlawful, given the way theprogram was being operated. . .

f.b.i. director muellerconcurred with james comey,and with john ashcroft, onthis matter. . .

after two weeks of “runningrougue” — outside the law — itwas amended and re-configured, to bring it into compliance with law. . .

according to talkingpointsmemo, at leastone DoJ attorney may have been passed over for a promotion firedforhis role in refusing to shove-through thisreauthorization, at the ashcroft-hospital-bed meeting that day. . . also according to tpmuckraker’s transcript of today’shearing, we learn the presidenthimself placed the call (to the best of mr. comey’s recollection),to then attorney-general-john-ashcroft’s-wife, at thehospital, that evening. . .

a s t o n i s h i n g. . .

or perhaps, not so. . .

thinkprogress, to counter WHspins-person tony snow’s suggestionthat mr. ashcroft was not all thatill, simply recounts the testimonyof james comey of what happened thatmarch 2004 evening:

. . .Ashcroft’s chief of staff also personally requested that Comey “not resign until Mr. Ashcroft was well enough to resign with me. He was veryconcerned that Mr. Ashcroft was not well enough to understand fully whatwas going on. . .”

the new york times is now reportingthat f.b.i. director mueller told mr.comey that he also, would resign, aswould ashcroft, if the president, thewhite house counsel and others did not back away from the program. . .

later — tomorrow’s gray lady implicates both messrs cheney, and bush:

. . .Mr. Comey said he reached Theodore B. Olson, the solicitor general, at a dinner party. At the White House session, which included Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Comey and Mr. Card, the four officials discussed the impasse. Mr. Comey knew that other top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, wanted to continue the program.

Mr. Card expressed concern about mass resignations at the Justice Department, Mr. Comey said. He told the Senate panel that he prepared a letter of resignation and that David Ayres, Mr. Ashcroft’s chief of staff, asked him to delay delivering it so that Mr. Ashcroft could join him. Mr. Comey said that Mr. Mueller was also prepared to quit.

The next morning, March 11, Mr. Comey went to the White House for a morning terrorism briefing. Afterward, he said Mr. Bush took him aside for a private 15-minute meeting in the president’s study, which Mr. Comey described as a “full exchange.”

At Mr. Comey’s urging, Mr. Bush also met with Mr. Mueller, who emerged to inform Mr. Comey that the president had authorized the changes in the program sought by the Justice Department. . .